Improvement in uterine-supporters



L.A.BABCOCK.

Improvement in Uterine Supporters. No. 123,856. P tente'dumzo lsvz.

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ATENT OFFICE.

LELAND A. BABOOGK, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN UTERINE-SUPPORTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,856, dated February 20, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LELAND A. BABGOCK,

M. D., of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, has invented a new and useful Improvement in Uterine-Simporters; of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which Figurel represents aperspective view of the improved supporter. Fig. 2 is a view of the belt detached; and Fig. 3 represents the two parts of the supporterdetached from each other and from the supporting-belt.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the ligures.

My invention has for its object the provision of a uterinesupporter which is light and simple in construction, of easy adjustment or application, not liable to get displaced or out of order, and which will beineapable of injurious effect. even when used or applied by other than the skillful practitioner, thereby obviating the difficulties and objections to those heretofore in use. It consists in the employment of a cup conforming in shape to the neck or lower extremity ot the womb, and provided with a series of perforations or small outlets for the es cape of the liuids when combined with a tubular stem and a detachable handle or stem match ing or fitting the tubular stem and adapted to be connected to and supported by a belt or strap, as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, A represents a thumb-nut and screw-bolt, said bolt being secured to a copper plate inside the pad 0 of the belt D, the plate and pad being, for the comfort of the wearer, covered with w lite enameled leather. B represents the handle of the supporter, which, for the purpose of combining lightness and strength, and an increasedbearing surface without increased weight of metal, with a capability of ready adjustment, is bifurcated, terminating at the lower end in a single stem, and adapted to be secured to the pad by the thumbnut and screw-bolt A, said bolt passing between the arms or branches of the handle, as shown. E isthe cup, which, in shape, conforms to the neck of the'womb, and is provided near its bottom, as at G, with any desired number of small holes or openings through which the fluid secretions may escape, The cup E is provided with a tubular stem, F, which is connected to the cup by a double-socket joint within which, or in the bottom of the cup, may be secured a small piece or plug of zinc. The tubular stem F, at its lower end, is of a size corresponding to and is adapted to receive theterminal stem of handle B in such manner that when the two are united they form a continuous stem of substantiall y uniform diameter from the cup E to the bifurcated portion of the handle B. The supporter, with the exception of the parts referred to, is designed to be made of pure silver, as not liable to corrode or chafe the parts brought into contact with it. copper and zinc in the construction in positions where they are not brought into actual contact with the person of the wearer, is intended, by being acted upon by the acid secretions resulting from perspiration and other exudations of the body, to generate a weak galvanic action, which is communicated through the stem and cup to the womb, and is believed to materially aid in the speedy restoration of the parts to a normal condition. By making the portion of the stem connected with the cup detachable from the handle it will be seen that the difficulty of applying and properly adjusting the instrument incident to the employment of uterine-supporters as heretofore constructed, and the injury frequently resulting therefrom, is entirely obviated, as by my construction the cup may be first applied and properly adjusted, and when so adjusted the supporting-handle may be readily and quickly applied and secured to the belt without disturbing the cup, and consequently Without any twisting or straining of the parts.

The device as a whole is light, simple, and durable, without projections or joints, of a character that can, by any possibility, inflict injury upon the wearer, and is believed to fully overcome the objections heretofore urged against this class of instruments.

Open bottom or annular cups and rings which permitted the escape of the fluid secretions have been used, but their use has been found objectionable because of the danger of producing strangulation of the neck of the womb. This difticultyis obviated in my supporter by the employment of the closed cup, alfordin g an uniform and the largest possible supportingsurface, while, at the same time,

The use of portions of 1 either wholly of or surfaced with silver or equivalent noncorrosive metal, and adj ustably connected with the supporting-pad, and with or Without the zinc and copper, substantially as described.

LELAND ALMA-NZON BABCOOK, M. D.

Witnesses:

E. E. BABOOGK, G130. WOLF. 

